NBA star Wayman Tisdale dead from cancer

Former Oklahoma and NBA star Wayman Tisdale died Friday morning after a two-year battle with cancer.

The 44-year-old basketball player found out he had osteosarcoma, the most common type of malignant bone cancer, after breaking his leg in a fall in his home in Los Angeles in 2007. Last August the leg was amputated but the surgery failed to stop the spread of the cancer.

Following an on-court career that saw him being a three-time All-American at Oklahoma and 12-years in the NBA, Tisdale became an accomplished musician winning a number of jazz awards and releasing several CDs showcasing his musical talent.

Tisdale was the first player in the history of college basketball to be named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons and was described by former Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs as, “the most courageous person that I’ve ever seen.”

Tisdale was fitted with a prosthetic leg following the amputation last year and continued his music career as well as remained a regular at at University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Thunder basketball games.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry described Tisdale “as a hero both on and off the basketball court. Oklahoma has lost one of its most beloved sons.”